Saint Joseph Catholic Church

The “capstone hearing of President Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission contained more powerful testimony and discussion about how people of religion are under assault by the secular left,” said Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, the Commission’s chairman. “Next month, the Commission will deliver our recommendations to President Trump to ensure that Americans’ religious liberty is safeguarded against evil forces seeking to suppress them in our country.”

Two bishops are commissioners: Cardinal Timothy Dolan and Bishop Robert Barron. In addition, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, Bishop Thomas Paprocki, and Bishop Kevin Rhoades serve on the commission’s advisory board.

The USCCB suggested the following language in emails to members of Congress:

As a constituent and a Catholic, I echo the call of our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, to support an immediate ceasefire and a negotiated end to the conflict with Iran. I ask you to encourage the Trump Administration to avoid any escalation, especially actions that would endanger civilians or expand the war across the region.

Pope Leo XIV and the U.S. bishops have pleaded for peace and warned that targeting civilian infrastructure cannot be morally justified. Please press for diplomacy, a negotiated peace, and humanitarian protection of the innocent not just in Iran, but across the Middle East.

Pope Leo XIV traveled this morning from the nunciature in Yaoundé, Cameroon’s capital city, to Yaoundé Airport (video), where he celebrated an outdoor Mass (video)

“Doing so would be consistent with this Administration’s recent pro-life actions,” said Bishop Daniel Thomas of Toledo, Ohio, and Bishop Brendan Cahill of Victoria, Texas.

Tornielli cited statements by Venerable Pius XII, St. John XXIII, St. Paul VI, St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Francis, and Pope Leo XIV.

The East African nation of 55.8 million (map) is 80% Christian (24% Catholic), 11% Muslim, and 8% ethnic religionist. Pope Francis made an apostolic journey there in 2015.

Pope Leo XIV met with students and professors at the Catholic University of Central Africa (video) and told them that no society can “flourish unless it is grounded in upright consciences, formed in the truth.”